Jabra Halo : This is the Bluetooth Headset you wanted!
September 14, 2009
Back at Mobile World Congress in February, we were treated to a very early look at the pre-release of Jabra's new Halo Bluetooth Headset/Headphones. Even then, with a demo set that didn't do anything, the looked and felt, well, cool.
Well - last week I went out and bought a pair at FNAC in Paris while attending the Broadband Conference (more on that in a separate post). So I've been using these for just over a week now, every day, and it's time to offer some thoughts.
First off the basics: they look and feel good when you pick them up. They come with a plug charger for wall outlet, and a USB charger, and with a little wired connection for when you want to use them as "just regular headphones". They have A2DP (let you listen to streamed stereo music over Bluetooth and control the stream). The lining on the inside is a nice furry felt-style cushion material that in nice to the touch. The overall styling is distinctly "Apple" like in a kind of sleek/minimal way. I reckon they don't look to dorky when on - the guys in the office coughed loudly when I said that :-)
After charging, pairing was a cinch. and went without a hitch to an iPhone, a Laptop and to two other phones I tried. The halo can pair with two devices at once - very handy if (like me) you'd like to use them with your laptop (for music, and for Skype and VoIP calls) and with your phone (for music, for for taking/making calls).
First thing I did was play some music. They have a strong confident sound - full and not tinny or weak as I've had from some other A2Dp capable headsets. Very encouraging. Plus - they felt good on - comfortable and light. The little ears slide in-out on a light ratchet and so you can adjust them to get a good fit. They're also angled slightly so they kind of "clamp" your head gently so they feel snug. All in all - initial fit and sound was a winner.
That button you see on the right hand ear piece does multiple things: it'll pause music you're playing and re-start it. Holding it in will turn them on or off. And I think it does re-dials as well but I haven't tried that as yet.
The volume control is innovative and takes a little getting used to. You touch near the small plus symbol on the right ear piece to turn up the volume and near the minus to do the opposite. Touching quickly also acts to skip tracks (forward or back). I found I could get the hand of the up/down volume ok - but I Haven't managed to get the hang of track skipping as yet.
Amazingly - these are designed to work as a great pair of headphones, as well as be a wireless headset for making and receiving calls. I was sceptical about the latter at first (there's no obvious place for the microphone and I reckoned the audio pickup from my voice would be rubbish). I was wrong!
So the next thing I did was to make some calls. I was *very* impressed. I expected people I called to be saying "can't hear you' and "huh?" - instead - it was clear as day, even in relatively noisy environs at the Broadband conference. I even called Dial2Do and played with the services in there for a while to test whether my voice made it through to the voice recognition safe and sound. it worked extremely well. I have to say I was not expecting that - the Halo is just an excellent headset, as well as being a quality pair of wireless headphones! Amazing.
So what's the catch? Well - they're not cheap - mine cost Euro 99 in FNAC. However, when you consider their multiple-use as headset/headphones and the overall audio-quality, I think they're worth it. These are one of the few headsets I've tried that I actually enjoy using and wearing for extended periods. yesterday I did a 2 hour bike ride and listened to podcasts from the iPhone in my bag all the time, and took a few calls while en route.
The catch I can see is yet another innovation: the hinged arms on the Halo. These have taken me a little while to get used to - as they take a little ooomph or "english" to pull apart when you want to fold up the headset. They sort of snick in to place and apart, and with time, you get better at doing it. But initially, it's a little nerve wracking when you're pulling at these to fold them up. As I say - with time the action and my method has improved. And they didn't fly apart in my hands like I was afraid of. In fact - the build overall feels solid and sturdy.
Folding them up turns them off, and folding them back out turns them on. This behaves very well (unlike some headsets or car kits) - simply open the headset and click both arms in to place, and it instantly reconnects to either your phone or laptop.
Overall reaction: I'm very impressed. Sound is great, fit is comfortable, and the core functions work very well. I'd recommend these to anyone who listens to music regularly and would like to do so wirelessly over Bluetooth from your phone or laptop, or better still, both. The Halo's a winner, and a great example of Bluetooth-done-well!
Gripes? The only niggle is that some people are going to worry about breaking those hinged arms on the Halo. I think they'll get over that with time.
